À La Ville de Paris
by Cerulean Sapphire
Summary: By sheer circumstance, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy meet again after two years in Paris, France and start to get acquainted with each other. HGDM oneshot


**Author's Note**: I made this story due to the fact that I am most passionate about France. The title _À La Ville de Paris_ means _At the City of Paris_. Do review; it keeps me going.

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**À La Ville de Paris**

By _Cerulean Sapphire

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Our story had been very simple. It was one of those stories where the main characters met once more in a foreign place and gets acquainted with one another. It wasn't hard to comprehend…it was a love story that at first might be thought of as completely unrealistic, but so realistic when thought of once more. It was one of those stories that over time never even vanished from the memories of those who knew it, for surely, it was never erased in mine.

We knew each other for a very long time. I couldn't say we were very close friends. No, we were more like competitors back when we were still students. There was a mutual enmity between us…a hatred that grew minute by minute, day by day. It had been like that until our final year.

After I left school, I never heard any news about you, and was rather keen not to. After all, you weren't so much as an acquaintance of mine. I didn't care about you or where you were, or what you had been doing. I never cared, and I never thought I would.

But after two years, I realized I was wrong with that conclusion. I was working for the Ministry and, owing to the fact that I was good in French, had to go to Paris. I was chosen to be a delegate and had to talk to other delegates about things involving England and France.

It was almost three o' clock in the afternoon that day. I had been wasting my time off at a café, sipping the usual espresso while reading a novel I just bought at a nearby bookshop. As I was halfway finished with my coffee, I caught a glimpse of a man about my age. Blond, he was, and there was an air about him…a sense of flair. He was sipping his own cup of coffee, and was reading a newspaper.

I took no further glances at the man and had another sip of my coffee when I realized who it had been.

The man I looked at was none other than Draco Malfoy, my former schoolmate. He was the childish boy who always bullied other kids before. He was the same boy I had hated during my seven years at school.

It was you. Of all people I had to see…it had been you.

Of course, after realizing who you were, I ignored you. I finished my coffee, paid for it, and stood up from my chair. I didn't want to socialize with you, if ever you might notice me. But just when I was about to walk away, you spoke to me in this drawling manner you always had.

"Well, well. If it isn't Hermione Granger…I never expected to see you."

I froze and took another look at you. You were staring at me, that unbelievable smirk plastered once again on your face. I thought (or hoped, rather) that I'd never see that smirk of yours ever again.

You folded your newspaper and looked at me one more time.

"I never expected to see you too, Malfoy."

"So what brings you here in Paris?"

"Work. You?" I asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"Same. Where do you work?"

Before I knew it, we were talking about many random things. It surprised me that we talked like we were old pals when we both knew we were far from being so. It had been one of the most surreal moments in my life. It was like I was meeting someone new…someone whom I shared a lot in common with. You changed a lot, as far as I could tell, and I honestly thought that the change had been good. It was for the better.

The days went by and after that fateful meeting of ours, I hadn't seen you again. Maybe that unexpected encounter was just…a meeting by chance. It didn't mean anything. But at the back of my mind, there was a thought that troubled me. What if our 'chance encounter' wasn't just by mere coincidence? What if it was something else? I believed in destiny, and maybe…there was something planned for us.

But after a while of pondering, I shook my head. Who was I kidding? Destiny? Us? What was I thinking? There was simply nothing planned for us, and there would be no 'us'. I was starting to get delirious about the chance meeting we had days ago. Maybe it was because I never had a serious relationship with anyone at that time. Yes, it was the lack of relationship that made me think things. I thought that was it.

A few days later I knew I had been wrong.

After a stressing day at work talking to Parisians about England and other affairs I wasn't quite in the mood to talk about, I gathered my things and prepared myself to go home. When I was almost out of the building, I heard a voice with an English accent shout, "Granger!"

I looked around, and who was I to find running straight to me but you. You stopped running a few meters away from me, and tried hard to catch your breath. You smiled a bit. I was a bit flustered. Why had you run in front of so many people just to catch up with me? Was it because you needed someone who could perfectly speak English to talk to? Or was it something else?

"Hi. Finished work for today, I suppose?"

I nodded.

"Well…are you doing something tonight then?" You asked.

"Not anything important, no. Why?"

"I was wondering if we could…you know, eat dinner outside."

You asked me for dinner. Was that a date? I kept wondering if it was, but I didn't want to ask you, for fear that you might get ideas. It had been a pleasant dinner. We talked as each course of meal came, and we sometimes laughed. The uncertainty I felt before was still there, yet…as every minute I spent with you passed, the doubts I had were slowly fading away.

After our first date, as I wanted to call it, we walked through the pathways of Paris. The city had always been beautiful, but at night the splendor was at its peak. It was a beautiful sight, the trees, the lights, the ambiance…everything was perfect. It reflected perfectly with my night.

You said you wanted to make sure I get home safe ("What if something happens to you?" you said), and so you walked me home. When we reached the front of my apartment, I stopped a bit. I said 'thanks' for the dinner and the very nice walk home.

"It's nothing. I had a great time, too."

I smiled at you. A moment later silence filled the space.

"Well…you should go inside now. Good night."

I nodded. "Good night, too."

I turned to the door but as I was about to grab my keys and open it, I thought the better of it, went back and called after you.

"Malfoy!"

You turned around as I walked towards you.

"What is it?" You asked, your face filled with an expression I couldn't quite understand.

"I need to know the truth. Why did you, all of a sudden, just become nice to me?"

"Oh," you said. "That."

You shrugged a bit. "Well…whether you believe it or not, I changed. Quite. And another reason is the fact that you're the only one I know here in Paris. I don't want to be stuck speaking French my entire stay here."

"I agree. It's nice to talk to someone who speaks straight English once in awhile."

Silence.

"So…will it be okay if we continue having conversations like this while we're here in Paris?"

I smiled at you. "I'd like that." After a few seconds, you smiled back.

"I'll see you then?"

"Yes."

I headed towards home, glad that I took the chance to talk to you that day at the café.

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After that dinner we had, you invited me for a lunch the next Wednesday, a visit at the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre by Saturday and a visit at the Place de la Concorde the next day. Every single day that we spent together was magnificent. It was like I saw Paris in a new perspective. It had always been beautiful, yes, but now, everything was so nice and perfect. I wanted to see more of the wonders of Paris with you.

I didn't realize it until the next Saturday.

I lived in Paris for quite a while, but it had been my first time at La Villette. You showed me to many wonderful sights around Parc de la Villette, and we had a marvelous time. We ate lunch at _Le Célèbre__ Dîneur_, a small restaurant just at the end of the street, and the food was delicious. By early afternoon we were headed to Bastille and spent hours looking around. And then, when it was about five o' clock in the afternoon you said you needed to go somewhere for awhile.

"I won't be long. I'll come back."

"Okay. I'll be here when you get back."

You walked the other way and I stood at the same spot for a few minutes. After twenty minutes, I got a bit bored and walked to the other direction, and since the whole street was full of nice little shops, I went around and looked in shops something nice to buy. I had a lot of fun, so I didn't notice that I should be getting back. It was about seven in the evening when I realized that I had to go back to the place where I was supposed to wait for you. When I reached that exact spot, you weren't there.

After ten minutes, I started searching for you.

Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours. It was only about ten thirty when we saw each other again.

You looked so worried when you saw me. You rushed to my side and cupped my face with your hands.

"Where have you been? I looked all over for you."

"I'm…I'm sorry. I looked around the shops and didn't notice the time and when I came here—"

"Shh," you whispered, silencing me. "There's no need to explain. As long as you're alright, everything's fine."

I was quite shocked about how you acted. To an outsider's point of view, we might have looked a lot like a wonderful couple. I felt odd as I remembered how quick you rushed to me, and how you cupped my face with your soft, warm hands.

"By the way," you said. I noticed that the moment you said those words, your cheeks turned a bright red color. You turned a bit to get something that must've been slightly tucked in your jeans.

"For you."

You presented me with three roses, three lovely white roses. My heart stopped beating when I saw those roses. I looked up at you, and you looked away.

"I…just thought it's nice…"

I smiled. "Thank you. The roses are lovely."

"I'm glad you like them. Well…uh, Hermione, it's late in the evening, so we should get going."

I nodded and smiled again. And then I stopped.

For the first time, you called me by my first name. And as I remembered hearing your voice say my name, my heart beat faster than it ever did. That was when I knew.

At the city of Paris, I fell in love with you.

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I was scared of the feeling I had. I was scared of feeling it. What if you didn't feel the same way? I was scared of rejection, yet I knew somehow…I had to tell you about my feelings. It had been there for so long; I just didn't realize it.

But a thought crossed my mind: What would you do if I tell you? Would you say you feel the same way…or would you tell me you never felt it and urge me to stop the feeling?

Although I knew I might be facing the worst rejection of my life, I still had to do it. I couldn't stand another day with you without knowing if you loved me or not.

I picked Sunday as the 'confession day'. That day would either be my best day or the worst one of my entire life.

"Where will we go today?" You asked as you picked me up at my house.

"How about the Eiffel Tower? I know we already went there before…but I'd like to visit it again."

You nodded. "Let's go?"

"Okay."

My fingers were quite numb as we walked. I was starting to get very nervous as, step by step, we headed closer to our destination. My heart was raving mad; it was like my heart would soon jump out of my chest and hop away. As we walked by shops, I looked at my reflection on every clear glass pane, seeing if I looked nice or if my dress was okay. I did that whenever you looked somewhere else.

I tried to look my best for that day. I wore my best dress and did my hair in a very nice way. I was quite scared you'd notice I was a bit _different_, but it was all for the better. After all, hours later I'd be confessing how I feel.

We arrived at the Eiffel Tower and drank tea at a small teashop. It was just then that I noticed how wonderful you were and how absolutely good you were to look at. I wished to see you all of my remaining days.

I smiled at the thought. It would be nice to spend the rest of my life with you, but it could only come true if I reveal my feelings to you. I feared rejection so much, yet…the reward was greater. If you loved me back, I'd be very happy. I wanted to know. I _needed_ to know.

I was determined to tell you that night.

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The night came a bit later than I thought. Maybe it had been because I was too anxious for the night to arrive that I was counting every second of every minute.

We ate dinner and had a marvelous conversation. I realized that you were a very witty person. It was nice having conversations with you.

It was almost eleven o' clock when you said we should call it a night, yet I still didn't want to leave.

"Please…just a few more minutes."

You looked straight into my eyes questioningly, and then thought the better of it.

"Alright."

I looked at the beautiful Eiffel Tower and sighed. Tonight would be the night, and the Tower would be witness to it.

"Draco?"

You looked at me with wide eyes. Apparently, it was the first time I called you by your first name, and you realized it.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I…"

At that precise moment, fright took over. I was scared…too scared to let it be known that I love you. I was scared to speak of those three words. Yet…how was I supposed to know your feelings if I didn't tell mine?

"Yes?" You said, urging me to continue.

"I…Draco, I…I…"

"Hmm?"

A few seconds later, I blurted it out.

"I love you."

The look on your face as I said those words was unreadable.

"Sorry?"

I sighed. To say those words needed a lot of courage; to say it again would be killing me.

"I know you heard it, Draco Malfoy."

The silence enveloped us after I spoke. It was hard to tell what you were thinking at the moment. I didn't have anything else to say to you after that. All I needed to know was your answer, and you knew you needed to give it to me right at that moment.

My heart stopped beating, time stopped ticking, everything was brought to a halt as you said those four words.

Before I knew it, I cried.

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**Fin.**


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